PROMO report: Data on posted work needed to design good policy

The free movement of services, as one of the four freedoms of the European Union’s internal market, includes the posting of workers. This means that workers go to an EU Member State - other than the country in which they normally work - for a limited period of time. Over the last two years, SOLIDAR was part of a project (PROMO) that aimed to improve labour rights for such posted workers and published four reports which can be found on our website.

In our most recent report we highlight that, among other objectives, the collection of data is necessary to make informed legislative decisions about posted work. The intention of this fourth report was to show the importance of improving information provision and collection as well as policy-related data, and to elaborate on what kind of quantitative data collection is needed to improve the functioning of the European posting system.

As our two PROMO researchers, Kristin Alsos and Anne Mette Ødegård (Fafo Research Foundation) demonstrate, there is a problem regarding the availability of data. While most European countries have introduced mandatory registration systems for posted workers, these do not exist everywhere. However, it is expected that better data will give a better insight into the flow of posted workers and the consequences posting has on the most affected sectors, both in sending and receiving countries.

While this is a technical approach, data on the posting of workers is crucial for designing good policy, finding posted workers and enforcing their rights. To reach the most vulnerable groups of posted workers, for example through more goal-oriented inspections, it is vital to have more precise data. Furthermore, a common registration system across Europe can be used to avoid fraud, undeclared work and fake postings more effectively. Find the full report here.